1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-processing apparatus for carrying out image processing on the taken image and an image processing method adopted by the image-processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Arts related to the invention are described in patent documents listed as follows:
Patent document 1:
    Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2003-110999Patent document 2:    Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2005-303511Patent document 3:    Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-62560Patent document 4:    Japanese Patent No. 3740351
With the popularization of networks such as the Internet and the improvement of performances displayed by a variety of apparatus utilized by general users, the image data taken by an individual in a photographing can be displayed on a home page or the like, shared by other users through the networks and exchanged with the other users with ease. The apparatus utilized by general users include a personal computer, a hand phone and an image pickup apparatus. An image taken by an individual in a photographing can be a moving or standstill image. For example, patent documents 1 and 2 listed above disclose a technology related to a system for sharing an image (or a photograph) and a technology related to a service for sharing an image (or a photograph).
As such a system is put to practical use and the number of images shared through the system increases, it is anticipated that the number of image-right and the number of copyright problems are raised. For example, there will be a situation in which a photographed image as an image of the face of a certain person or an image of a copyrighted work is disclosed in a network without prior consent regardless of whether the image is disclosed with an ill or bona fide intention.
On the other hand, patent documents 3, 4 and 5 propose a technology for avoiding the image-right and copyright problems by carrying out mosaic generating processing or the like on a portion of an image of the face of a person.